Saturday, 28 June 2014

Create magazine, a FREE (yes! free!) online magazine published by Scrapbook Generations has some of the most inspirational scrapbooking and cardmaking content I have come across! There are sketches, articles, layouts galore, a tutorial and all kinds of crafting goodness. A few weeks ago the June issue with released along with two of my layouts.

First up, on pages 198-199 is a double page spread I created using vellum and Bella Blvd based on amazing two page sketch.

Michael replaced my broken waterproof camera for me recently and we got some really fun pictures while at Aquatica for Spring Break. The colors were perfect with these Bella Blvd papers that I mixed and matched across old and new collections - as I do!

A modified cut file cut using my Silhouette made the perfect waves for us to frolic and swim amongst!

A mix of patterned paper and washi make for fun banners at the top of your page.

And another two page spread can be found on pages 218-219 that I created based on the one page sketch. When you have more photos than the sketch calls for but like the sketch, just S T R E T C H it out! LOL!

This Pebbles collection, Birthday Wishes, is RIGHT up my alley! Those of you who know me and follow my work know that bright colors are what I create with best. THIS was designed for me! And for this birthday girl! I do believe this young lady has had many birthday layouts featured on the blog lately. Well here's another to accompany the collection!

Twinery bakers twine is the perfect compliment to these balloons! The pop of black grounds all the color a bit as well.

Some more Twinery twine on the button that comes from the collection which I used to dress up the pennant. Love those little confetti like stars! So festive!

Oh! the things one can do with foam adhesive! And stickles! Each of the candles (there are seven for her seventh birthday!) has a dab of Stickles to make the flames sparkle, as they did on her cake!

Now to do something with all the pictures from this years birthday!! We had a friends party this year and weren't at home. It's tougher to get pictures of kids you aren't all that familiar with and in lightening you don't really now. But they did turn out! And the girls had a good time, that's the most important part!

Friday, 27 June 2014

Hi there and welcome to the lastest edition of the Practical Scrappers "Scrapping Our Stash" blog hop! So glad you could join us!! You should have hopped your way here from Deborah's blog, if not, be sure to begin at the Practical Scrappers blog and work your way here. I'm the little red caboose, closing things out for the hop!

Today I am sharing a double page layout created using an old, old manufacturer who, sadly, is not longer around; Collage Press. I got the collection pack in a kit club run by another non-enity, my local scrapbook store, Memories Galore.

I have saved and saved these papers for a special occasion. Oddly enough, the maps that I really liked and hoarded the kit for were not what I wound up using. Funny how things work out, eh?

A little Basic Grey lace and Jenni Bowlin goodness are the perfect compliment, working well with the color scheme and digging deep into my stash. I believe that Basic Grey is from 2009! These pictures are from 2010...

Oldies but goodies! It's fun to blow off the cobwebs and see what you have hidden in the depths of your stash. Things that you have saved, knowing someday when the new has worn off, you will find a good use for them!

You have reached the end of this month's hop with my blog so now you can kick back, prop up your feet and rest from all that hopping around! On behalf of all the ladies who have shared their stash with you today, thank you for joining us! It's always a pleasure and we look forward to seeing you again next month!

Thursday, 26 June 2014

I can't believe that Indpendence Day is just around the corner!! Crazy... Every year we go to see fireworks for some sort or another, what would the 4th be without fireworks?! Last year we stayed local and went to both the GenWorth fireworks and saw some more after the Squirrel's game at The Diamond. And, I always take a million firework pictures. Here's just a sampling on some amazing Kraft Core!!

Per the other layouts you've seen using the Core'dinations Seasonal Impressions here on the blog, I selectively sanded the words/phrases that corresponded with my theme. I also happen to have the Tim Holtz embossing folder that matches this pre-embossed cardstock and was able to fussy cut the 4 in a slightly bigger size.

This whole layout was created using all Kraft Core products! I love the vintage feel it gives to the layout.

Another fun technique that is unique to Core'dinations cardstock is the ability to run it through your label maker for some fun banners. By sanding the raised print, revealing the colored core underneath, you can really see the letters!

Do you have plans for the holiday yet? We are winging it - the running trend of the summer apparently... I just can't get ahead of things and schedule... There's too much. I'm not complaining, we are very fortunate! But the day to days of our schedule, like when the kids will swim and go to Mathnasium are determined on the fly.

Wednesday, 25 June 2014

Top Dog Dies is a new online store that offers their own brand of wafer-thin and steel-rule dies, along with dies from brands you already know and trust, including Little B, Lawn Fawn, Taylored Expressions, Savvy Stamps and Cheery Lynn Designs. Top Dog Dies is also the leading U.S. retailer for Tattered Lace, a new line of intricate dies designed by British designer Stephanie Weightman.

The Photo Mat die was the center piece of this card! It's such a versatile piece; here I have a card, on the Top Dog Die blog a layout. Others have used it for a mini-album. Or, as the title suggests, a photo mat!!

This die would be the perfect compliment to any crafters collection. Remember, it is larger in size, there are three size photo mats contained within one die. When running it through your die cut machine, you will need to use the longer platform.

And because Top Dog Die wants to share their awesome products with you, there's something fun for you, my awesome blog readers and followers! You have a chance to win! Head on over HERE and enter to win! The winner will receive $50 worth of exclusive dies from Top Dog Dies of your choice! Register via the Rafflecopter app on the page to enter. Monday, June 30 at midnight Central Standard Time is the deadline to enter. How incredibly generous!

Thursday, 19 June 2014

Hi there! Today I have another Imaginisce layout to share with you. I've been into mixing and matching the lines lately. A little old school, a little new. Kind of perk up the old a bit! I really love the "not new" collections and have plenty of them.

Mixing the black and whites of Black Ice iwth the pinks from both the princess collection and Welcome Spring was a no brainer when you looked at the hats these silly girls were wearing! I used a Heidi Swapp mask and gave the thinner black and white "striped" patterned paper a hint of pink.

The embellishments are actually another hodge podge of things. I wanted to run the heart theme through out the layout but who could resist a good moustache?!

More Two Peas flair! Love it. What I like is that it's not too bulky. Some flair stands way too far off your page and just warps all the pages around it in your album. When you put them in albums... Hmmm, not been too good about that lately...

Couldn't resist! A little play there with the glasses for the double 'o's! Made for a fun title!

As I created this layout, I wondered; as perusers of blogs, do you prefer to see one collection, one manufacturer layouts or do you like it mixed up? Mixed up all the time? What inspires you most in that regard? I like one collection layouts when I need to get things done. But when I have time to play, I like the challenge of mixing it up, creating my own goodness!

Monday, 16 June 2014

Hi there! We're celebrating today! A birthday! A virtual celebration as her birthday was a couple of weeks ago. I have a layout to share with you today that is also up on the Imaginisce blog today.

Imaginisce hasn't released a birthday collection in a while but I wanted to create a festive birthday layout of this young lady as she turned 5. It was easy to do with a cut file and the boy and girl My Baby collections. Using the bubble patterned paper as the theme of my layout, I stamped, punched and drew additional circles to create a confetti background which I then adorned with fussy cut birthday banners.

I wanted a little bit more delineation between the pink edges of the letters and the blue circle patterned paper so rubbed my Gelatos along the edges and "smeared" with a water brush to blend in the color. Feel free to grab the FREE cut file.

I just loved the color scheme! Not one I would have put together on my own but perfect for this picture of Mia and Michael at Sea World on a special experience. Last year Nikolas and I went on this behind the scenes tour while Michael and Mia did a different one. Mia wasn't old enough for this one but she was definitely envious of the increased opporutnity for animal interaction. We were able to get last minute tickets for them both on our latest trip!

There are so many amazing textures you can create with Core'dinations cardstock! The ability to sand and emboss really add so much more variety than "regular old" cardstock!

I hope you're having a great weekend! Can't believe it's almost over... Again! Thanks for stopping in!

Tuesday, 10 June 2014

We love the way our cardstock "core'dinates" with Stampendous stamps, don't you?

Of course there are prizes this week! Three prize packages will be awarded. The package from Stampendous includes the Lovely Garden Stamp Set; the Matching Lovely Garden Cutting Dies; a Sand It Kit from Core'dinations which includes a sanding block, replacement sandpaper, and a "must-have" Dust Buddy clean up cloth; AND Core'dinations will also be sending the lucky winners some of our fantastic 6" X 6" paper pads. PLUS an extra special bonus - our friends at Dreamweaver Stencil will be adding the gorgeous Stone Wall stencil that Jamie Martin from Stampendous used in her terrific card she'll be posting this week (you can see a peek of it on the blog banner!)

LET'S GET STARTED!

We'll draw three random blog posts from all the posts this week. Then we'll choose one comment from each. Of course we'll love you even more if you pin our projects to your Pinterest Boards or if you Tweet, or Share on Facebook, follow us, like our pages. You know the drill! Here's who is posting today!

Stampendous sent me the most amazing stamps and a coordinating die to create with. Here is the layout that I created;

Those lovely flowers are Core'dination's cardstock, stamped with Stampendous stamps which are then cut out with the coordinating dies. I hand colored each flower and then crinkled each one for additional texture and dimension before assembling the layers. Each flower has Distress Stickles for the centers for a finishing touch.

Graduated cardstock colors available in the Core'dinations Super Assortment really complimented the THREE layers of the flower.

Sanding with my Sand It Gadget also really aided in creating a realistic flower, don't you think?

Next up on the hop is Krissy over at Paper Inkspirations! She has a marvelous card to share with you!

Thanks for hopping with Stampendous and Core'dinations today! Be sure to check back in all this week as the other gals have great projects to share with you too!

Today I'm sharing a PaperCrafts and Scrapbooking inspired layout that I never finished in time for submission. Not even remotely in time as I think the call was back in February and I only just completed the layout! It was the fox call, I remember that much. But what I originally had in mind for this layout, yup, well, that's what happens when you abandon a project!

This kid is a phenominal reader!! She's always got her nose in a book. So much so that it's known amongst her classmates that Mia likes books, Mia loves to read, Mia is always reading. Not just one book but usually two or three. How she keeps track of what is happening in what story, I don't know... Avid is an understatement with regards to this child's love for the written word.

There's a little of everything in this layout, no one manufacturer is dominant. Love the flair from Two Peas that I ordered and will definitely have to get more. Love the October Afternoon and Lawn Fawn foxes, so very cute.

The glassine bags from Fancy Pants are purely decorative, there is no content in them. That Project Life card from Cocoa Daisy was the center piece of this layout. The color scheme was built around that complimentary card. I love those red sofas but they are horrid in pictures... I was clearly not as aware of my scrapping needs when we bought them!

Pattern and texture galore in this layout! What did you think of the fox trend? I never really noticed it, to be honest. Sure I saw the foxes but don't think were as "hot" as other things have been...

Saturday, 07 June 2014

Yesterday was reveal day over at the challenge site CSI and Core'dinations is one of the sponsors this month! Some of the Core ladies and I are priveleged to be guest designers for CSI: Color, Stories, Inspiration. Case File 126 is up and it's bright, fresh and fun! If you haven't ever checked it out or played along, join the detectives and solve a case file, you will have fun, I promise.

So here is the latest case file;

And here is what I did with it;

Core! That's all Core'dinations cardstock and not a lick of patterned paper on there. I did have to use some embellishements for support but more of the texture there is cardstock! A few clicks of pastels in the background too.

The testimony is easy with Core'dinations tags with embossed edges! No brainer there!

It's a challenge alright! One of the many great things about CSI challenges is that it really makes you look at your stash and use some things you might have "forgotten" about! Join us! Play along! I challenge you!